Lorne Michaels: Jimmy Fallon 'Inevitable' As 'Tonight Show' Host

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In addition to The New York Times giving the clearest signal yet that Jimmy Fallon will take over "The Tonight Show" when Jay Leno's contract expires in 2014, "Saturday Night Live" and "Late Night" executive producer Lorne Michaels dropped another big hint that NBC will announce the move soon.

Speaking to GQ in an interview published Wednesday morning, Michaels said of Fallon's "Tonight Show" chances: "I'm not allowed to say it -- yet. But I think there's an inevitability to it. He's the closest to Carson that I've seen of this generation."

Michaels has shepherded Fallon's career since Fallon started as a cast member on "SNL," and rolled the dice by replacing Conan O'Brien with Fallon when O'Brien briefly took over "The Tonight Show" in 2009.

He has been the executive producer of "Late Night" since 1993, and with the news that Fallon's "Tonight Show" would likely stay in New York City, it's reasonable to assume that he would follow Fallon to 11:35. (Although he is the EP of "Late Night," Michaels has little to do with the day-to-day business of the show, as he spends most of his time running "SNL.")